Transcript of Remarks of Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman
Florida Hurricane Agricultural Disaster Assistance Announcement -
Bartow (Polk County), FL - September 24, 2004
(As Prepared)
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SECRETARY ANN M. VENEMAN:
"Good afternoon, and thank you for that kind introduction. It is a pleasure to be with you all today.
"Governor Bush, thank you for the invitation to be here. The Governor and I have been in touch continually in recent weeks, and I also toured damage from Hurricane Charley just a few weeks ago at his request.
"It is good to see Congressman Putnam again, as well. He joined us on that tour, and he has been very engaged on the issue of disaster relief on behalf of Florida agriculture.
"Commissioner Bronson is joining us as well, and he was our very able guide for that tour.
"Thank you for all of your outstanding work and partnership with USDA.
"Our hearts continue to go out to all the loved ones of those who have lost their lives and livelihoods from the recent hurricanes. Floridians have endured an especially difficult hurricane season, and the thoughts and prayers of the nation are with you during this time.
"To help communities and individuals recover from these hurricanes, President Bush has directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other federal agencies to use our existing authorities and resources.
"Over the past several weeks, we have been working with Governor Bush and the State of Florida, your congressional delegation, Commissioner Bronson, local communities, and industry to quickly assess needs and provide assistance.
"USDA's State Emergency Board, which is led by our Florida Farm Service Agency Director Kevin Kelley, who is here today, and which includes representatives of 10 USDA agencies, has done excellent work and put in long hours to coordinate our efforts. So far, the assistance that USDA has provided includes:
- Emergency loans, Non-insured Crop Disaster Assistance, and expedited claims assistance for agriculture producers;
- Food commodities and other nutritional assistance, including about $55 million in replacement Food Stamp benefits to more than 300,000 households; more than 2.5 million pounds of commodities valued at about $3 million; baby and infant food and formula valued at about $4.5 million;
- Emergency watershed protection;
- Housing assistance for families displaced from USDA-sponsored housing, most especially, wherever possible, to hard-hit farm-worker populations. This includes making vacancies in existing farm worker housing facilities available to displaced individuals;
- And support by the USDA Forest Service, including the deployment of Incident Management Teams to provide logistical assistance and transportation of the sick and elderly, and implementing "Operation Blue Roof," which provides temporary tarps to make houses livable that are in need of a roof.
"But clearly, many needs still exist, and we are committed to doing everything possible to implement President Bush's directive to help.
"As the President and I, along with others on our USDA team, have seen during tours of disaster areas, Florida's agriculture sector has been especially devastated. In some places, individual losses have approached 100 percent.
"It is critical that we move quickly to help mitigate these economic damages and to help Florida agriculture regain its footing as soon as possible, now, and over the long term. That is why today I am pleased to announce a major new assistance program for Florida agricultural producers, to help restore their purchasing power and to conduct clean-up and rehabilitation.
"The Florida Hurricane Agricultural Disaster Assistance program will assist producers of citrus, fruits and vegetables, and nursery crops in counties that were impacted by Hurricanes Charley and Frances.
"Citrus payments will be made based on four tiers of destruction, which generally correlate to the distance from the eyes of the hurricanes. Citrus payments for insured producers range from $100 per acre for those who have experienced the least damage, to $1,500 per acre for those who have experienced the most damage. Payments for fruit and vegetable losses range from $250 per acre for conventional row crops that suffer substantial losses, to between $1,000 and $2,500 for plasticulture crops, which have a much higher production cost.
"Sign-up for these commodities will begin in early October, with payments following shortly after.
"Payments for nursery crops will be based on a percentage of inventory loss plus a flat payment of $250 per acre for clean-up costs. Payments under Florida Hurricane Agricultural Disaster Assistance will be limited to $80,000 per producer, and payment rates will be 5 percent lower for uninsured producers.
"This assistance is authorized under a program known as "Section 32" which is intended to help restore the purchasing power of agricultural producers. We estimate that the total benefits under this assistance will exceed $500 million.
"I would emphasize that our use of Section 32 funds will not impair the Department's ability to administer programs that traditionally use these funds, such as child nutrition assistance and other food-assistance programs. These programs are fully funded, and all entitlements will be provided. Funding will continue to be available to purchase surplus agricultural commodities for our food assistance programs.
"In addition, one area of ongoing concern involves housing and infrastructure. I have asked Tom Dorr, my senior advisor for Rural Development issues, to meet with local, county and state officials in Florida to assess rural housing and infrastructure needs and opportunities and to address issues such as housing for farm workers. This will complement a series of community meetings we have already launched in central Florida addressing these topics and led by our Rural Development State Director and staff.
"The program I am announcing today is intended to help compensate Florida agriculture producers and allow them to begin the rebuilding this vital sector of the Florida economy right away.
"In addition, we are now in the process of determining agricultural damages from Hurricane Ivan in Florida and other states, as well as damages to agricultural production beyond citrus, fruits and vegetables and nursery operations from Hurricanes Frances and Charley.
"We will continue to provide the same level of response to other hurricane-impacted agricultural sectors as our damage assessments are completed. We will also continue to work with Congress to ensure adequate funding for hurricane relief.
"Again, my thanks to all of our partners who are helping us turn the President's directive to assist the people of Florida into a reality. We especially appreciate all of the outstanding cooperation and coordination with Governor Bush, Commissioner Bronson, the congressional delegation, and other state and local officials. Thank you very much, and God Bless you all."
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